The Iowa Sportsman
Places To See In Iowa This Fall
Exploring Iowa in Full Fall Color My favorite time of all is autumn. As I’m writing this, the leaves are just getting ready to turn colors. With all the oak trees that will be turning shades of gold and orange, the maples turning yellow, amber and bright red, Iowa in the fall is gorgeous! You […]
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Budget VS Premium Hunting Scopes
Budget VS Premium Hunting Scopes There is a common trend I run into when advising people on rifle setup, whether for hunting, tactical, or other purposes. I have no problem getting folks to spend money on rifles. But when I tell them to spend as much or more on optics, I seem to lose them. […]
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Understanding CWD and EHD in Iowa: What Hunters Should Know for 2026
noUnderstanding CWD and EHD in Iowa: What Hunters Should Know for 2026 I remember the drought of 2012. It barely rained, grass turned brown, ponds dried up, ag yields were catastrophic across the state, and then deer began to die. This was the first time I remember chatter from Iowa deer hunters getting really concerned […]
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Gearing Up for Dove Season
Gearing Up for Dove Season Dove season around Iowa is kind of the first kick-off for hunting season. It opens up around September 1st, near the Labor Day holiday, so what better way to celebrate than to go hunting? Dove hunting is hard, you’ll watch groups of men, excellent shooters, miss the doves as they […]
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Hunting Rubs & Scrapes
Unlocking the Secrets of Rubs & Scrapes This fall, many hunters will come across fresh rubs and scrapes to and from their hunting locations. Learning how to read these signs can greatly improve a hunter’s odds of filling a tag on a mature buck. Oftentimes, these signs are more than a single signpost and instead […]
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The New Age of Trail Cameras
The New Age of Trail Cameras For many hunters, trail cameras have become as essential as a good pair of boots or a reliable bow. They’re your eyes when you can’t, or don’t want to, be in the timber. As we move into 2026, trailcamera technology continues to shape how hunters gather information, pattern deer, […]
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Fall Iowa Fishing
FALL FISHING One thing is certain about outdoor activities in Iowa: they’re all tied to the weather and how each month transitions into the next. We make our plans based on how cool or hot it will be, whether we’ll see any precipitation, and what times will be best for both our activities and our […]
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EARLY MORNING HYBRID STRIPED BASS
EARLY MORNING HYBRID STRIPED BASS The air was thick, and a heavy fog was hovering above the calm surface of the water. As I pushed the boat off the trailer at the launch, I couldn’t help but wonder what would be lurking just below the surface. The water temperature was high, and there was sure […]
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Mid-Season Crappies
Mid-Season Crappies Basin Basics It’s a pattern perhaps, as old as the species itself. It’s as predictable as a bad sit-com and as dependable as Old Faithful. Once the early ice period ends, crappies will begin to migrate and suspend over basin areas. For the ice angler, it is actually good news. Once you can […]
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The August Advantage: Building Your Buck Inventory Before the Rut
Whitetail 365- The August Advantage: Building Your Buck Inventory Before the Rut By Noel Gandy Recently, a guest of my podcast and I were having a brief conversation before recording about bucks in velvet and the anticipation that summer gives for the coming hunting season. He and I both agreed that you have to be […]
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